Mechanism for temporarily interrupting the stacking of sheets in printing machines and the like



United States Patent Jeroelev Jlruse [72] Inventors Blansko and J aroslav Ilorak. Svitavka. Czechoslovakia 1211 AppLNo. 763,066 [22] Filed Sept. 27. 1968 [4S] Patented Nov. 10,1970 [73] Anignee Adamovsltestrojlrnymerodnlpodnik.

Adamov, Czechoslovakia [54] MECHANISM FOR TEMPORARILY IN'IEIRUP'IING 'IIIE STACKING 0F SHEETS IN PRINTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE SClalmgJDnwlng Figs.

[521 U.S.Cl. .J 214/6, 271/86 [51] Int.Cl B65g57/03 [S0] FieldoISelrch ..214/6(K),6(S), 6(F). 6(1-1), 6(6). 6(D); 271/86, 88, 68, 69, 89

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.333379 11/1943 Graf 214/6(K)UX 2.893573 7/1959 Buccicone 214/6(K)UX 3.122342 2/1964 Lopezetal. 214/6(K)UX 3,410,421 11/1968 Groll 214/6(K).UX

3,430,784 3/1969 Hall 2l4l6(l()UX Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner Robert J 4 Spar Attorney-Richard Low ABSTRACT: A mechanism to be used in printing machines and the like for the purpose of temporarily interrupting the y stacking of sheets. A pair of stops have normally a substani tially vertical operating position to engage a side of a stack of I sheets during the formation of the stack. A rotary means car- I ries these stops to displace them from their normal operating position through a distance sufficient to give free access to a top sheet of the stack. A pair of temporary supports have normally positions displaced from the stack and can be moved from their normal positions to temporary operative positions situated horizontally over the already formed stack to temporarily support sheets which continue to be delivered so that the top sheet of the already formed stack can be removed for. inspection. A transmission means connects operatively the rotar means to the temporary supports for displacing the latter automatically to the referred to temporary operating positions when the stops are displaced from their normal operating positions. This transmission means returns the temporary supports to their normal positions displaced fromv the stack when the stops are returned to their normal operating positions.

PtentedNbv. 10, 1970 STACKING OF SHEETS IN PRINTING MACHINES AND- THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mechanism for interrupting the delivery of sheets to a stack which is being formed.

. "Devices of this type are useful, for example, in the case of printing machines where printed sheets are delivered to a stack in which the sheets are situated one upon the other.

In such machines printed sheets are ordinarily placed one upon the other on asuitable table or any other support to form a stack. During the operation of the machine it is necessary for an attendant to periodically remove a sheet from the top of the stack in order to inspect same to check on the proper operation of the machine.

To make it possible for a sheet to be taken, from time to time, from the topof the stack someprinting machines are provided with a mechanism which interrupts the operation completclyso as to stop the delivery of sheets to the stack. In many conventional machines of this type, the stops which line the sheets with each other, as-they are stacked, can simply be tilted to one side to give access to the top sheet of the stack. 7

provided with supports which are displaced toward the stack tore'ceive sheets which are not to be delivered to an already formed stack. With such a construction it becomes only necessary to tilt the stack-forming stops to one side to make the removal of the top sheet from the stack forinspection possible. Structures of the latter type are extremelycomplex, and in addition they havethe disadvantage of requiring a double manipulation in that first the delivery of the sheets to the stack must be terminated and then the stops must be tilted aside to give access to the top sheet of the already formed stack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a construction which will avoid the above mentioned drawbacks.

.In particular, it is an object of this invention to provide a structurcwhich with a single manipulation will, on the one hand, interrupt thedelivery of the sheets to the stack and will simultaneously, on the other hand, move the stops to a location where free access may be had to the top sheet of the already formed stack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which enables the top sheet of an already formed stack to be the latter operates at high speeds.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple mechanism which requires but one handle to be manually operated.

In addition, it is anobject of our present invention to provide a construction which will enable a single sheet to be taken from the top of an already formed stack without being crumpled and without interrupting the proper sequence in the sheets as they are stacked. Thus, with the structure of the invention it is possible to maintain the sheets in the sequence in which they come'from the machine by replacing the inspected sheet, and to return parts of the machine to their normal operating positions in such a way that those sheets which are removed without'stopping the operation of a machine, even if I delivered from the machine during inspection of the top sheet sequential delivery of the sheets to the stack is not changed.

In accordance with'the invention, there are at least a pair of stops which nonnally extend in vertical 'operatingpositions to engage a side of the stack during the formation thereof. A rotary means is operatively connected to these stops for displacing them from their normal operating positions through a distance sufficient to give free access to the top sheet of a stack. A pair of temporary supports are provided for movement from normal inoperative positions displaced from the stack so as not to participate in the formation thereof to tom} porary operating positions situated over the stack for receiving sheets which continue to be delivered from the machine while the top sheet of the already formed stack is removed for inspection. A transmission is connected between the rotary means and the temporary supports for displacing the latter to their temporary operating positions when the stops are dis placed from their normal operating positions. This transmission automatically returns the temporary supports to their normal inoperative positions when the stops'are returned to their normal operating positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accom panying drawings which form part of this application and ln which:

FIG. I is a partly schematic side elevation of an embodiment of a structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the position which the parts of FIG. l take when the formation of the stack is interrupted; and

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional end elevation of the structure of FIG. I as seen from the right of FIG. I in the direction of'the arrow P.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the sti'uc-' ture illustrated includes a rotary means in the form of a horizontal rotary shalt 4 which is supported for rotary move ment about its horizontal axis in side walls 10 of a machine frsme. The machine frame also carries, in a inanner described in greater detail flirther below, a pair of holders 2 which form part of a support means for supporting a pair of temporary supports 1 for swinging movement about parallel vertical sites from their normal inoperative positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, where the temporary supports 1 are displaced from the falling sheets which form a stack, to a temporary operating position shown in FIG. 2 where the temporary supports fare. I

situated over the already formed stack 12 in order to interrupt the delivery of sheets thereto so that the top sheet of the stack 12 can be removed for inspection.

A transmission means is connected between the rotarymeans 4 and the temporary supports 1. This transmissionv means takes the form of toothed segments 3 forming parts of bevel gears and fixed to the shaft 4 for rotation therewith. The toothed segments 3 mesh with toothed segments forming parts of the supports 1 and have also the configuration of sections of bevel gears. The holders 2 which support the temporary supports 1 for swinging movement are formed with openingr through which the shaft 4 extends so that the holders 2 also' participate in the support of the shaft 4 for rotary movement. The shaft 4 carries a pair of stops 5 which have normally the vertically extending position indicated in FIG. 1 where they serve to participate in the formation of a vertical staclgof sheets 12.

hereinafter.

The support means which supports the pair of temporary supports 1 for swinging movement includes, in addition to the holders 2, a pair of curved bracket arms 6 which fixedly carry the holders 2, with the latter extending downwardly from the a lower ends of these bracket arms. The upper ends of the curved brackets 6 are fixed to a erosspiece '7 which extends between and is carried by the side walls 10 of the machine frame.

A spring means is provided for yieldably maintaining the shaft 4 in its opposed end positions. This spring means takes the form of an over-center elongated tension spring 13 fixed at its left end, as viewed in FIG. 3, to a stationary pin 14 and connected at its right end to a pin 15 which is fixed to and extends horizontally from a lever I6. The latter is fixed to an end portion of the shaft 4 which projects outwardly beyond one of the side walls of the machine frame 10. FIG. 3 shows beneath the lever 16 a stop pin 17 which is carried by a side wall of the frame 10 and engages the lower edge of the lever I6 so as to determine the operating position of the parts as shown in FIG. 1. Situated over the lever 16 is a second stop pin 17 carried by the same side wall of the frame 10 and determining the upper position of the lever 16, which determines the position of the parts, as shown in FIG. 2. When the spring 13 extends horizontally it is stretched to its maximum extent. Upon being displaced upwardly from this horizontal position, the spring 13 1 contracts to hold the lever 14 against the upper stop, providing in this way the position shown in FIG. 2. On the other hand, when the spring I3 moves below its horizontal position it contracts to pull the lever 1-4 against the lower stop I), thus ensuring the position of the parts shown in FIG. I.

The structure of the invention operates as follows:

A known structure schematically illustrated at ll (sec FIGS. 1 and 2) deposits sheets one after the other so that they fall onto a stack 12 on which they are smoothly arranged in vertically aligned condition by a structure, also known, which is not shown since it forms no part of the invention. The latter structure serves to urge the front surface of the stack against the stops or front stops 5.

When an attendant wishes to inspect a sheet, he turns the handle 8 from its position shown in FIG. I to its position shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the rotary means 4 is angularly displaced, turning the front stops 5 away from their vertical operating positions through a distance sufficient to give free access to the top sheet 9 of the stack (FIG. 2). It will be noted that in the illustrated example the stops 5 are turned through approximately 90 from a vertical to a horizontal position. The corresponding angular displacement of the end positions of the shaft 4 by 90 between each other is determined by the pair of stops 17 which coact with the lever 14 in the manner described above.

During the rotation of the shaft 4, the transmission 3 transmits the rotary movement of the shaft 4 to the temporary sup ports 1, angularly displacing the latter to the position shown in FIG. 2 where they are located over the already formed stack 12 to receive and support the sheets which continue to be delivered. Thus, the building of the stack 12 ceases so that a control sheet 9 can readily be removed for inspection. After these operations have been completed the operator simply returns the handle to its initial position and thus returns the stops 5 to their normal vertical operating positions. All of the sheets carried by the temporary supports 1 will simply fall onto the top ofthe stack which was previously formed.

The structure which normally urges the stack 12 against the stops 5 acts when the parts are in the position of FIG. 2 to urge the sheets temporarily supported on the supports ll toward the left vertical surfaces of the holders 2, as viewed in FIG. 2. Thus, the sheets on the temporary supports l are automatically aligned precisely with the already formed stack to be deposited on the formed stack when the supports l are turned to their normal inoperative positions with the simultaneous return of the stops 5 to their vertical operating positions where they will serve to guide the sheets temporarily supported on the supports 11 at the left vertical surfaces of the holders 2, as viewed in FIG. 2. The sheets on the temporary supports I are automatically aligned precisely with the already formed stack to be deposited thereon when the supports 1 are returned to their normal inoperative positions with the simultaneous return of the stops 5 to their vertical operating positions where they will serve to guide the sheets temporarily supported on the supports ll down to the stack, as is apparent from FIG. 1 where the vertical stops 5 are shown extending downwardly from and forming a continuation of the left surfaces of the holflcrs 2, as viewed in FIG. I.

It is preferred to make botht both the supporting arms 1 and the transmission gears 3 of a suitable plastic material.

We claim:

I. For use in a machine which stacks sheets one upon the other, at least a pair of stops having normal operating posi- .ions where they extend substantially vertically for engaging the vertical surface ofa stack of sheets during the formation of he stack, rotary means operatively connected to said stops for urning them from their normal operating positions through a .ISIZIIICC sufficient to give free access to the top sheet of the stack for removal from the stack. at least a pair of temporary stack-supports, support means supporting said temporary stack-supports for movement from normal positions displaced from the stack to temporary operating positions situated in the path of sheets falling over the part of the stack, which has already been formed so that said temporary supports will support sheets which continue to be delivered during removal ofa top sheet from the already formed stack, transmission means opcratively connected between said rotary means and said temporary supports for transmitting to said temporary supports movement displacing the latter to their temporary operating positions upon actuation of said rotary means to displace said stops from their normal operating positions through said distance, said rotary means including a horizontal shaft which is rotatable about its axis and which carries said stops, said support means including holders holding said temporary supports for movement about vertical axes, said transmission means including at least parts of bevel gears carried by said shaft for rotation therewith and carried by said temporary supports for meshing with the gears carried by said shalt so that when the latter turns displacement of said temporary supports to their temporary operating positions takes place simultaneusly with displacement of said stops from their normal .pcrating positions while return of said stops to their normal perating positions takes place simultaneously with return of .aid temporary supports to their normal positions.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a handle is operatively connected to said shaft for manually turning the latter.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein a spring means operativcly connected to said shaft for yieldably maintaining the latter in a pair of positions one of which corresponds to the operating positions of said stops and the other of which cor- ;esp0ncls to the operating positions of said temporary supports.

4. The combination of claim and wherein a machine frame supports said shaft for rotary movement, a crossplece carried by said machine frame, and a pair of brackets carried by said crosspiece and respectively carrying said holders.

5. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said temporary supports and bevel gears are all made of plastic. 

